What does this mean [[Declaration of Independance]]?

Question

Need help translating these paragraphs from the declaration of independance so that i can understand them:

Paragraph 1:
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

Paragraph 2:
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Answer 1

A line by line translation is kind of hard because of the punctuation in the original document, so I will paraphrase each paragraph.

The first one:

Because of logic, and because it is a difficult thing to change an entire system of government which has been around for a long time, history has shown us that people would rather suffer small abuses and inconveniences brought on by their governments for as long as they can stand them, rather than trying to overthrow a system to which they are accustomed, meaning one they understand and have been living under for a long time.

The second one:

When a government engages in practices which are abusive to the citizens for a long time, and which are intended to make it so they are living under a despotic, abusive government where the people have no control, it is the right of the people, and is actually their duty, to put aside that system of government and make a new form of government which makes their future safe, meaning when a government starts overstepping its bounds, and is abusive for a long time, people have a moral obligation to get rid of that government and create a new, better one that doesn't trample their rights.

I hope that helps.

Answer 2

the first means that the declaration was thouroughly though out and should not be changed lightly, it also says that even though things might suck, the general public will accept it because they are too lazy to do anything about it themselves and they dont wanna have to change....

the second means that when change is forced upon them they will THEN set out to fix things...basically it says that we the public will go along with anything until inconvenienced. but if things get really bad it is our duty to put things right even if it means revolution

Answer 3

1: We citizens normally put up with suffering rather than change our government
2: If pushed too far, we have a right to demand change.

Answer 4

The idea for the declaration was originally penned by a Northern Irish man. The Irish are darn confusing if you ask me.